Dafnis Prieto (born July 31, 1974) is a Cuban-American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator.

Career

In his home town of Santa Clara, Cuba, Prieto studied percussion and guitar. During his teens, he moved to Havana to study at the National School of Music. He concentrated on classical music and Afro-Cuban music before paying more attention to jazz. In 1999, when he was twenty-five, Prieto moved to New York City, where he worked with Eddie Palmieri,

Carlos Barbosa-Lima Antonio Carlos Ribeiro Barbosa Lima (17 December 1944 – 23 February 2022) was a Brazilian classical and jazz guitarist. He spent most of his professional life as a resident in the United States, devoting much of his time as a recitalist on in ...

Arturo O'Farrill Arturo O'Farrill (born June 22, 1960) is a jazz musician, the son of Latin jazz musician, arranger and bandleader Chico O'Farrill,

, Dave Samuels, and

Michel Camilo Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Ja ...

, among many others. Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops. From 2005 to 2015, he was a member of the music faculty at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

. Since 2015, he has taught at the Frost School of Music at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

in Miami, Florida.

Awards and honors

* 2007 Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, Dafnis Prieto ''Absolute Quintet'' (Zoho Music) * 2007 Latin Grammy nomination, Best New Artist * 2011

MacArthur Fellow The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 indi ...

* 2018 Latin Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Back to the Sunset'' * 2018 Grammy Award, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Back to the Sunset'' * 2021 Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Transparency''

Discography

As leader

* ''About the Monks'' (Zoho, 2004) * ''Absolute Quintet'' (Zoho, 2006) * ''Taking the Soul for a Walk'' (Dafnison, 2008) * ''Live at Jazz Standard NYC'' (Dafnison, 2009) * ''Proverb Trio'' (Dafnison, 2012) * ''Triangles and Circles'' (Dafnison, 2015) * ''Back to the Sunset'' (Dafnison, 2018) * ''Transparency'' (Dafnison, 2020) * ''Cantar'' (Dafnison, 2022)

As sideman

With

Caribbean Jazz Project Caribbean Jazz Project was a Latin jazz band founded in 1993. The original group featured Dave Samuels, Paquito D'Rivera, and Andy Narell. After their second album, D'Rivera and Narell left the group, although both returned as guest stars. Under ...

* ''The Gathering'' (Concord Picante, 2002) * ''Birds of a Feather'' (Concord Picante, 2003) * ''Mosaic'' (Concord Picante, 2006) With others *

Peter Apfelbaum Peter Noah Apfelbaum (born August 21, 1960) is an American avant-garde jazz pianist, tenor saxophonist, drummer, and composer born in Berkeley, California. Career Apfelbaum formed the Hieroglyphics Ensemble in 1977. He performed with Carla Bley ...

, ''It Is Written'' (ACT, 2005) *

Concha Buika María Concepción Balboa Buika (born 11 May 1972), known as Concha Buika or Buika, is a Spanish singer. Her album ''Niña de Fuego'' was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and ''La Noche Más Larga'' was nominated ...

, ''

La Noche Más Larga ''La Noche Más Larga'' is the fifth studio album by Spanish singer Concha Buika. The record was released on June 4, 2013 via Warner Music Spain label. Plot Neil Spenser of ''The Guardian'' stated "Now relocated to Miami, she's clearly reaching ...

'' (Warner Music Spain, 2013) *

Jane Bunnett Mary Jane Bunnett, (born October 22, 1956) is a Canadian musician and educator. A soprano saxophonist, flautist and bandleader, she is especially known for performing Afro-Cuban jazz. She travels regularly to Cuba to perform with Cuban musicians. ...

, ''Ritmo + Soul'' (Blue Note, 2000) *

, ''Spirit of the Moment'' (Telarc, 2007) *

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

, ''Lucidarium'' (Label Bleu, 2004) * Matt Dusk, ''Two Shots'' (Decca, 2004) *

Kip Hanrahan Kip Hanrahan (born December 9, 1954) is an American jazz music impresario, record producer and percussionist. Personal life Hanrahan was born in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx to an Irish-Jewish family. His father left when he was 6 ...

, ''Beautiful Scars'' (American Clave, 2008) *

Paquito Hechavarria Paquito is a given name, may refer to: *Paquito Cordero (1932–2009), Puerto Rican comedian *Paquito Diaz, (1937–2011), veteran Filipino actor and movie director * Paquito D'Rivera (born 1948), Cuban clarinetist and saxophonist * Paquito ...

, ''Frankly'' (Calle 54,) * Brian Hughes, ''One 2 One'' (Higher Octave, 1998) * D. D. Jackson, ''Sigame'' (Justin Time, 2001) * D. D. Jackson, ''Suite for New York'' (Justin Time, 2003) *

Ronny Jordan Robert Laurence Albert Simpson, known professionally as Ronny Jordan (29 November 1962 – 13 January 2014) was a British guitarist and part of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Jordan described his music as "urban jaz ...

, ''London Lowdown'' (Blue Note, 2001) *

Nino Josele Nino or Niño may refer to: *Nino (name) *Niño (name) *Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino" *El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean *NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in the ...

, ''Espanola'' (DRO, 2009) * Brian Lynch, ''Spheres of Influence Suite'' (2006) * Brian Lynch/ Eddie Palmieri, ''Simpatico'' (ArtistShare, 2006) *

Carlos Maza Carlos Manuel Maza (born April 9, 1988) is an American journalist and video producer who started the '' Vox'' series ''Strikethrough''. The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' described him as "Brian Stelter meets NowThis". Early and personal life M ...

, ''Zapato Kiko'' (Owl, 1994) *

Arturo O'Farrill Arturo O'Farrill (born June 22, 1960) is a jazz musician, the son of Latin jazz musician, arranger and bandleader Chico O'Farrill,

, ''Live in Brooklyn'' (Zoho, 2005) * Eddie Palmieri, ''La Perfecta II'' (Concord, 2002) *

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

, ''Everybodys Mouth's a Book'' (Pi, 2001) * Henry Threadgill, ''Up Popped the Two Lips'' (Pi, 2001) * Yerba Buena, ''Follow Me'' (Wrasse, 2007) *

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of j ...

, ''Voices in the Wilderness'' (Tzadik, 2003) Recorded by others * 2001: "B. Smooth" recorded by John Benítez Trio, ''Descarga in New York'' (Khaeon) * 2002: "El Guarachero Intrigozo (The Scheming Party Animal)" and "Masacoteando (In the Groove)" recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, ''The Gathering'' (Concord Picante) * 2003: "Against the Law" recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, ''Birds of a Feather'' (Concord Picante) * 2008: "Echo-dimensions" recorded by Meridian Arts Ensemble, ''Timbrando'' (Channel Classics) * 2008: "Song for Chico" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, ''Song for Chico'' (Zoho) * 2008: "The Guiros Talk" and "Claveteando" recorded by Ethos Percussion Group, ''Building'' (Bribie ) * 2008: "Vida Sin Miel" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & Claudia Acuña, ''In These Shoes'' (Zoho) * 2009: "Trail of Memories" recorded by Jon Nelson, ''Fable'' (8bells) * 2015: "The Triumphant Journey" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, ''Cuba: The Conversation Continues'' (Motéma)

Books

* 2016: ''A World of Rhythmic Possibilities: Drumming Lessons and Reflections on Rhythms'' (Dafnison Music) * 2020: ''Rhythmic Synchronicity. Individual and Collective Rhythmic Skills: A Rhythm Course for Non-Drummers. (Dafnison Music)''

References

External links

Official site

"NYC Jazz Musician Dafnis Prieto Named MacArthur Foundation Fellow"
Brown, Kathryn (September 21, 2011)
At NPR Music

Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Prieto, Dafnis 1974 births Living people People from Santa Clara, Cuba 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American educators 20th-century Cuban educators 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American educators American jazz bandleaders American jazz composers American jazz drummers American male drummers Cuban expatriates in the United States Cuban jazz composers Cuban jazz percussionists MacArthur Fellows American male jazz composers New York University faculty Grammy Award winners 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers 21st-century jazz composers National Art Schools (Cuba) alumni